Michelin Unveils First-Ever Restaurant and Hotel Selections for Los Angeles and Las Vegas
Release date: November 12, 2007 LOS ANGELES

Michelin today released the first-ever editions of the Michelin Guide for Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008 features 290 establishments in all, a number that includes 263 restaurants -- representing 29 types of cuisine -- and 27 hotels.

The Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008 features 127 restaurants and 30 hotels.

Among restaurants receiving stars, Las Vegas garnered one three-star restaurant, Joël Robuchon; three (3) two-star restaurants and 12 one-star restaurants. Three restaurants in Los Angeles were awarded two Michelin stars, including Mélisse, Spago and sushi specialist Urusawa. Fifteen restaurants in Los Angeles were awarded one Michelin star. The complete listings for both guides are available at www.michelinguide.com.

To ensure a consistent selection, the same five criteria are used for awarding stars in all countries: product quality, preparation and flavors, the cuisine's personality, value for money and consistency.

One star means a very good restaurant in its category.
Two stars mean excellent cooking, worth a detour.
Three stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

The results of the Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008 and Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008 will be celebrated during a special panel discussion and book signing event at 7 p.m., Wed., Nov. 14 at Barnes & Noble at The Grove at Farmers Market. Panelists will include Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guide; Barbara Fairchild, editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit; Leslie Brenner, editor of the Los Angeles Times food section and Evan Kleiman, restaurateur, author and host of "Good Food" on KCRW.

In Los Angeles, Michelin will host an exclusive party Monday evening, Nov. 12 at Les Deux. In Las Vegas, Michelin will host an exclusive celebration at Blush Boutique Nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club on Thursday evening, Nov. 15.

The presentation of each hotel and restaurant in the Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008 and Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008 includes a description of the atmosphere, interior decoration, chef's background, etc. These descriptions are intended solely to provide readers with additional information about the establishment.

Present in North America since late 2005, the Michelin Guide now has four local editions: The Michelin Guide New York City, now in its third edition, and the second edition Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & the Wine Country and the two North American guides, the Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008 and the Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008.

In Europe, the collection currently comprises 17 Michelin Guides, including English-language versions of the Michelin Guide France and the Michelin Guide Paris. The Michelin Guide is also making its entry into Asia with the publication of the first edition of the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2008 in November.

Thanks to a rigorous selection process that is applied independently and consistently around the world, the Michelin Guide has become an international benchmark in gourmet dining. The selection is made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees and is based on the same working methods in all countries.

The Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008 goes on sale on Wed., Nov. 14 for $14.95, and the Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008 goes on sale on Fri., Nov. 16 for $12.95. Langenscheidt Publishing Group, premier publisher of map, travel, and language brands, is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Michelin Maps and Guides. For more information, please visit www.langenscheidt.com/michelin. The Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008 and Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008 complement the existing catalog of Michelin maps and guides, as well as Langenscheidt's own extensive catalog of leading U.S., international, and regional maps, guides, and atlases.

For more than a century, Michelin Guides have helped travelers enjoy better mobility by offering qualified restaurant and hotel recommendations throughout Europe. Now representing 21 countries and two continents, the collection of 17 Michelin Guides includes more than 45,000 addresses. Its team of highly trained inspectors visits establishments anonymously, applying Michelin's international standards for quality across many categories. In North America, the company has introduced Michelin Guides for New York City San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Michelin will introduce the Michelin Guide to Tokyo, Japan later this month. For more information, visit www.michelinguide.com.

MICHELIN RESTAURANT RATINGS

ONE STAR
Asanebo
CUT
Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington (The)
Joe's
La Botte
Matsuhisa
Mori Sushi
Ortolan
Patina
Providence
Saddle Peak Lodge
Sona
Trattoria Tre Venezie
Valentino
Water Grill

TWO STARS
Mélisse
Spago
Urasawa

Michelin ratings have L.A. chefs starry-eyed
By Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer - November 10, 2007

No local restaurants receive the renowned guide's coveted three-star rating, but three do garner two stars, including Spago.

Restaurateurs and chefs across Southern California were congratulating one another Friday on their Michelin ratings, even though the highly anticipated restaurant guide -- the first ever for Los Angeles -- wasn't scheduled to be announced until Monday.

Some chefs already had figured out a way to access the list of starred restaurants on the Michelin guide website in advance of the official announcement.

No Los Angeles restaurants earned Michelin's highly coveted three-star rating, but two-star ratings were awarded to Spago, Wolfgang Puck's Beverly Hills flagship; Mélisse, a California-French dining room in Santa Monica; and Urasawa, a rarefied 10-seat Japanese restaurant on Rodeo Drive.

The 2008 Las Vegas ratings were also accessible online. French chef Joël Robuchon received Vegas' only three-star rating. "This morning one of our patrons called me," he said. "He looked on the Internet site and saw all the results of the guide. There were rumors circulating, but nothing official. I'm really happily stunned." Robuchon, who received his first three-star Michelin rating in 1981 for his eponymous Paris establishment, has renowned restaurants all over the world.

The Michelin guide, published for more than 100 years by the French tire company, is considered the bible of European gastronomy. For many chefs, it is the ultimate accolade. In 2003, Bernard Loiseau, the chef-owner of La Côte d'Or in Burgundy, feared losing his third star and committed suicide. In recent years, though, a number of Parisian chefs have been dismissive of the guide.

With Michelin stars, however, comes enormous prestige, as well as business. "It was one of the single greatest factors in affecting our business and the demographic of our clientele," said David Kinch, chef-owner of Manresa in Los Gatos. Last year the restaurant received two stars when the "Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country" was published for the first time. "It changed everything. It's been amazing. Visitors coming from all over the world. All of a sudden we became a part of the trail."

Director Jean-Luc Naret has been at the forefront of the company's push to become the preeminent arbiter of global dining. The annual guides cover 22 countries. The first North American guide, "Michelin Guide New York City 2006," was published in 2005. The guide for Tokyo, Michelin's first foray into Asia, also will be released this month.

Michelin announced in March that it would be publishing its first Los Angeles guide this month. And the local restaurant industry had been atwitter since then -- wondering when Michelin inspectors had visited their restaurants, and if anyone would receive three stars. Now all the talk is about who got how many stars.

In the weeks before Michelin's announcement, speculation among restaurateurs and chefs was that no Los Angeles restaurant would receive three stars. Robuchon and Guy Savoy in Las Vegas were considered contenders. Guy Savoy earned two stars.

"I had never thought Michelin would be coming to L.A.," said Josiah Citrin, chef-owner of Mélisse, whose two stars came as something of a surprise. "Of course, I am very happy about two stars. This isn't just L.A. two stars; this is two stars across the world. Americans might not know how hard it is to have even one star and how few there are. . . . And who knows? Maybe this will raise the bar in Los Angeles."

"I'm interested to see people's reaction to the guide and how it's embraced in the community," said Lee Hefter, executive chef at Spago, which also garnered two stars. "My staff certainly is motivated to do even a better job. I think naturally we're expected to perform at an even higher level."

The 15 one-star restaurants include Providence, Michael Cimarusti's highly regarded Melrose Avenue seafood restaurant; Sona, David Myers' formal spot in West Hollywood; Water Grill, the downtown seafood house; Ortolan, Christophe Emé's ornate French place on Beverly Boulevard; Patina, Joachim Splichal's flagship at Walt Disney Concert Hall; Ritz-Carlton Huntington Dining Room in Pasadena; Mori Sushi in West Los Angeles; La Botte in Santa Monica; and Joe's in Venice. Many in the food world were surprised that Providence received only one star and that Lucques, in West Hollywood, and Hatfield's, on Beverly, were not on the list.

"I'm glad to be on the list at all," said Cimarusti. "If I wasn't there, I'd be upset. Now I have something to shoot for. Onward and upward."

According to the guide, one star "indicates a very good restaurant in its category, a good place to stop on your journey." Two stars denote "excellent cuisine, worth a detour, with specialties and wine of first-class quality." And three stars reward "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey, where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. The wine list features generally outstanding vintages, and the surroundings and service are part of this unique experience, which is priced accordingly."

"I'm the most delighted; we're really proud," said La Botte owner Stefano DeLorenzo. "I grew up in Italy, admiring Michelin-starred restaurants. This is completely different from Zagat. Zagat is a survey; the Michelin guide sends out professional inspectors."

According to Michelin's Naret, five West Coast inspectors cover Los Angeles and Las Vegas. "We really try to appreciate what Los Angeles and its diversity have to offer," Naret said.

Christian Delhaye, worldwide head of maps and guides for Michelin, said Los Angeles and Las Vegas were impressive for "the great quality of the restaurants there and the great diversity of what we found there."

"The Michelin selection is not a French selection of French restaurants," Delhaye said. "Michelin is doing a selection of all the best restaurants -- whatever the style, whatever the origin."

When the guide was first released for the Bay Area, there had been some criticism that inspectors were biased toward French cuisine.

"You could see in our guide that there is a balanced selection," Naret said. "We cover all kinds of food. The French Laundry would have received three stars whether it was called the French Laundry or the Spanish Laundry."

Naret is scheduled to call L.A. and Las Vegas chefs who earned a star or stars Monday morning in advance of the planned official announcement at noon. The "Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008" will be on sale at bookstores Wednesday.

Leaks surrounding Michelin's announcements have become something of a tradition, though they're not always accurate: Last year in Paris, it was expected that Hélène Darroze would receive three stars, but when the official results were announced, her eponymous restaurant received two. In 2005, a bookstore in Corsica put the Michelin guides on display a week ahead of schedule and a local newspaper published an article on the three-star changes.

This time around, the leak was traced to Michelin's own website, where, by changing a few characters in the Web address, anyone was able to pull up lists of the starred restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Delhaye confirmed Friday that the list was official. "It was a mistake" that it was available on the website, he said. "It was only up for a short time." The Web page is no longer viewable on the Michelin site, but the rankings are outlined here in an accompanying list.

So how did the Los Angeles leak come about? Did some clever gastronome figure out the side-door entry to the list of starred restaurants, or were restaurateurs tipped off by someone in the know? The restaurateurs aren't talking -- much. One L.A.-area restaurant owner who did not want to be identified said he was tipped off in an e-mail from a friend.

Michelin stars unofficially align for L.A.
By Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer - November 9, 2007

The results were unwittingly visible for a time online before the formal release. Urasawa, Spago and Mélisse take two and Joël Robuchon in Vegas gets three.


The first Michelin guide restaurant ratings for Los Angeles and Las Vegas, highly anticipated and kept officially under tight wraps until an announcement scheduled for Monday at noon, have been revealed because chefs have found their way to a list on Michelin's website.

"Michelin Guide Los Angeles 2008" is set to be published Wednesday, along with the first Michelin guide for Las Vegas, but restaurateurs and chefs across Los Angeles are already congratulating each other on their one and two stars. No restaurant received three, according to the list. (Michelin rates top restaurants with one, two or the highly coveted three stars.) Christian Delhaye, worldwide head of maps and guides for Michelin, confirmed that the list was official. "It was a mistake" that it was available on the website, he said. "It was only up for a short time." The Web page is no longer viewable on the Michelin site, but the rankings are outlined here in an accompanying list.

Michelin guide director Jean-Luc Naret is scheduled to call L.A. and Las Vegas chefs who earn a star or stars Monday morning in advance of the noon announcement, but leaks are something of a tradition. They're not always accurate: Last year in Paris, it was expected that Hélène Darroze would receive three stars, but when the official results were announced, her restaurant received two stars. In 2005, a bookstore in Corsica put the Michelin guides on display a week ahead of schedule and a newspaper published an article on the three-star changes.

This time around, the leak can be traced to Michelin's own website, where by changing a few characters in the Web address, anyone was able to pull up lists of the starred restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. According to the site, Spago, Mélisse and Urasawa earned two stars. The 15 one-star restaurants include Providence, Sona, Water Grill, Ortolan, Patina, Ritz-Carlton Huntington Dining Room, Mori Sushi, La Botte and Joe's.

In Las Vegas, French chef Joël Robuchon received the only three-star ranking.

With Michelin stars come prestige, but stars also bring business. "It was one of the single greatest factors in affecting our business and the demographic of our clientele," says David Kinch, chef-owner of Manresa in Los Gatos. Last year the restaurant received two stars when the "Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country" was published for the first time. "It changed everything. It's been amazing. Visitors coming from all over the world. All of a sudden we became a part of the trail."

The Michelin guide, published for more than 100 years by the French tire company, is considered the bible of French gastronomy. Naret has been at the forefront of the company's push to become the preeminent arbiter of global dining. The annual guides currently cover 22 countries. The first North American guide, "Michelin Guide New York City," was published in 2005. The guide for Tokyo, Michelin's first foray in Asia, also will be released this month.

So how did the Los Angeles leak come about? Did some clever gastronome figure out the side-door entry to the list of starred restaurants, or were restaurateurs tipped off by someone in the know? The restaurateurs aren't talking -- much. One L.A.-area restaurant owner who did not want to be identified said he was tipped of in an e-mail from a friend.

The results were only a few clicks away on the Michelin guide website, www.michelinguide.com. Click on "The Restaurants" and you see Michelin's four North American guides for 2008: New York City; San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country; Los Angeles; and Las Vegas. Because L.A. and Vegas restaurant ratings are officially not available yet, you weren't able to click on either of those guides to see the list of starred restaurants. But by clicking on the New York guide, which was released last month, and manually changing the Web address slightly, you were, until this afternoon, able to see a full list of starred restaurants for Los Angeles or Las Vegas. The address for the list of New York's starred restaurants is: www.michelinguide.com/stars_nyc_08.html. Changing the "nyc" to "la" or "lv" would have revealed the lists, which are no longer available.

Michelin announced in March that it would be publishing its first Los Angeles guide this month. And the restaurant industry has been atwitter since then -- wondering when Michelin inspectors had visited their restaurants, and if anyone would receive three stars. Now all the talk is about who got how many stars.

"I never thought Michelin would be coming to L.A.," says Mélisse chef-owner Josiah Citrin, who received one of the only three two-star ratings. "Of course, I am very happy about two stars. This isn't just L.A. two stars; this is two stars across the world. Americans might not know how hard it is to have even one star and how few they are.... And who knows? Maybe this will raise the bar in Los Angeles."

"I don't know how I found out," says Lee Hefter, executive chef at Spago, which also garnered two stars. "Somebody in the restaurant told me. I don't know these things get leaked. I'm interested to see people's reaction to the guide and how it's embraced in the community. My staff certainly is motivated to do even a better job. I think naturally we're expected to perform at an even higher level."


2008 Michelin starred restaurants:

One star: "A very good restaurant in its category"
Two stars: "Excellent cooking and worth a detour"
Three stars: "Exceptional cuisine and worth the journey"

Los Angeles

Two-star restaurants
Mélisse, Santa Monica
Spago, Beverly Hills
Urasawa, Beverly Hills

One-star restaurants
Asanebo, Studio City
Cut, Beverly Hills
Joe's, Venice
La Botte, Santa Monica
Matsuhisa, Beverly Hills
Mori Sushi, West Los Angeles
Ortolan, Los Angeles
Patina, Los Angeles
Providence, Los Angeles
Ritz-Carlton Huntington Dining Room, Pasadena
Saddle Peak Lodge, Calabasas
Sona, West Hollywood
Trattoria Tre Venezie, Pasadena
Valentino, Santa Monica
Water Grill, Los Angeles

The 20 Best L.A. Italian Restaurants
By JONATHAN GOLD - Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Over a Barrel

La Botte is named after a wine barrel, paneled with former wine casks, and is as thick with actual wine bottles as your niece’s room may be with Bratz paraphernalia.

The wine list is a serious one, the kind where you feel a little like a kid whose ball has been taken away if you lack the bank balance to play around with $156 bottles of Serpico or verticals of Amarone. Antonio Mure’s cooking — hearty, wintery north Italian stuff like stuffed pheasant, taglioline with crumbles of quail sausage, fried sweetbreads with polenta, or spaghetti tossed with lentils — seems almost engineered to bring the best out of a young Brunello or a bottle of San Leonardo, a Friuli red with the muscular presence of Sassicaia.

Coda alla vaccinara, the famous Roman oxtail dish, is superb, large, pillowy hunks of tail nestling into soft, yellow puddles of polenta, gooey on gooey and rich on rich — exactly what you want with a glass of Barolo if somebody else is paying. Is Mure’s cooking, which you also may have tasted at Piccolo in Venice or Wilson in Culver City, a bit severe for the sybaritic climate of Santa Monica? Perhaps. But it also may be just what we need.

Restaurant Awards '07 - >>Best New Restaurant
Los Angeles Magazine - Jan 07

La Botte - This wood-paneled room stands out thanks to the warmth, the wine list, and the rustic cooking of Antonio Mure'. His minestrone is made with a hand-cranked food mill, and his creamy polenta lies under sweetbreads.




   

La Botte Live on KTLA - August 28, 2006

Zagat Releases 2007 Los Angeles / So.Cal Restaurant Guide

Zagat Releases 2007 Los Angeles / So.Cal Restaurant Guide With 7,975 Avid Diners Rating Over 2,000 Southland Eateries Matsuhisa Regains Top Billing For Food, Petros Takes No. 1 Newcomer Honors; Cheesecake Factory is Most Popular; Hotel Bel-Air Wins For Decor and Service; Santa Monica Beats Beverly Hills and West Hollywood For Best Restaurants; Angelinos Dining Out More, Paying More and Tipping Less

This year's Zagat Los Angeles / Southern California Restaurants guide, released to area bookstores this week, covers 2,001 Southland restaurants, based on the experiences of 7,975 locals who ate out an average of 3.8 meals per week. Thus the typical restaurant was visited by three to four Zagat surveyors each day of the year.

"In a banner year for dining, the happiest surprises come in the form of two newcomers, the Greek Petros and the Italian La Botte, in the beach communities of Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica," said Tim Zagat, co-founder of Zagat Survey. "It's also great to see Matsuhisa and Hotel Bel-Air back playing at the top of their games, and Wolfgang Puck placing his stake at Cut."

Top Newcomers: Although this year brought such great newcomers as BLD, Ford's Filling Station, Hatfield's, Farm Stand, West and Wilson, the real honors go to a trio of new ethnics: The category winner with "fabulous flavors" is the "contemporary" Greek Petros. Close on its heels is the "innovative" Italian La Botte. Rounding out the top three is Old Town Pasadena's "unpretentious" little bistro and wine bar, The CrepeVine.

Dining Out...A lot: A whopping 82% of Southlanders say they are eating out the same or more than they did two years ago -- 3.8 times per week on average. Zagat Surveys across the country show that only Texans eat out more frequently. In comparison, New Yorkers eat out 3.4 times per week, Chicagoans and San Franciscans 3.2 times, and Bostonians and Philadelphians 2.7 times.

Paying More and Tipping Less: Seventy percent of Los Angelenos say they spend more now than two years ago. However, while the average cost of a local meal rose 2.3% since last year to $31.93, that's still below the national average of $32.45. Los Angelinos' 18.4% average tip is also below the 18.8% national average. Sadly, that ties it with San Francisco as the least generous city in the country.

Going the Distance: There's one area in which Los Angelenos are willing to spend freely to get a good meal -- that's on their cars (and gas bills). Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said they willingly drive ninety minutes, hours or more roundtrip for a worthwhile meal.

Top Food: Reclaiming the number one spot for Food is the outstanding Japanese-Peruvian of Matsuhisa. In second place is the "breathtaking artistry" of Josiah Citrin's Melisse. And closing out the top three is the Valley's Sushi Nozawa where the food is "vibrant," but the "dictatorial" service is "not everyone's cup of sake." Joining the top food list are Piccolo, where "people line up around the block;" Oak Park's "relaxed, elegant" Californian, Leila's; the "culinary adventure" of Saddle Peak Lodge, and South Pasadena's "serene" Franco-Japanese Shiro. For BBQ and pizza, the winners are Phillips Bar-B-Que and Casa Bianca respectively.

Most Popular: Leading the way for Most Popular is the "cacophonous," "convivial" Cheesecake Factory where there's "always a long wait." In second place is the decidedly different small plate "foodie heaven" where gourmets love to "graze" A.O.C. And rounding out the top three is Wolfgang Puck's Spago, the L.A. "institution" that continues to offer a "culinary experience you will not forget."

Decor and Service: Wearing the crown in both categories is Hotel Bel-Air Restaurant, where one feels like they're "stepping into paradise." On the Service side, the "experience extraordinaire" at Providence takes the second spot, while Melisse rounds out the top three. And with regard to Decor, it's the "almost more French than France" L'Orangerie (slated to shutter at year's end, sadly) that takes second while the "stunning" gothic La Boheme comes in third.

Neighborhoods and Others: Although first-class dining options abound across the Southland, it's Santa Monica that wins top honors as the area with the best restaurants, followed by Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. A closer look reveals Melisse at the top of the Santa Monica charts, followed by the "grown-up" Josie and "sublime," "swimmingly fresh" The Hump. In Beverly Hills, it's Spago up front, then steak lovers' delights Mastros and Ruth's Chris. And in WeHo, Madeo, Yabu and La Boheme come in 1,2,3.

Diversity and Creativity - The Highlights: When surveyors were asked to rate various aspects of the region's dining scene on Zagat's 0-30 scale, diversity and creativity were the clear winners. Southland restaurants rate a "25" for diversity and a "21" for culinary creativity. On the down-side, and a matter of serious concern, LA-SoCal restaurants rate only a "15" for their hospitality and table availability.

Service - The Weak Link: As with most cities Zagat surveys, service is cited by 74% of all surveyors as their principal dining irritant. This is the single greatest problem facing the restaurant industry, not just in Los Angeles but in the entire nation. In comparison, noise (12%), food quality (5%), parking/traffic (4%), prices (3%) and crowding (1%) come in far behind.

Celebrity Chefs: Surprisingly, in a town full of celebrities and star power it appears that a famous chef in the kitchen doesn't mean too much to area diners. Only 15% say that they seek out restaurants with celebs in the kitchen, while 85% just don't care.

Like all Zagat Survey guidebooks, the 2007 Los Angeles / Southern California Restaurants guide is made by consumers for consumers. In addition to Most Popular and Top Food, the guide also includes such useful categories as Child-Friendly, Late Dining, Outdoor Dining, Romantic Places, Singles Scenes and, of course, Stargazing. Restaurants are also broken out by cuisine, location, and dozens of other groupings.

The Los Angeles / Southern California Restaurants guide ($13.95) was edited by Lena Katz and Angela Pettera, Gretchen Kurz in Orange County, Merrill Shindler and Daniel Simmons and Yoji Yamaguchi. It is available at bookstores and other retail outlets, through zagat.com or by calling 888/371- 5440.

The Best Restaurants For Wine Lovers
From Wine Spectator magazine, August 31, 2006 issue

Good wine has never been so important an element in fine dining as it is today. Restaurateurs know that wine lovers are their best customers, and wine lists continue to improve.

This year, the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards program celebrates its 25th anniversary of recognizing restaurants that show passion and commitment when it comes to wine.

La Botte
620 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

The James Beard Foundation - August 2006

Down memory lane: Michael Wilson was the chef at the cult classic 5 Dudley, which he left in 2004. With the debut of Wilson, the chef is now back in the spotlight serving three meals a day at his eponymous high-end wine bar and cafe located on the new restaurant row in downtown Culver City. His partners are chef Antonio Mure and Stefano Lorenzo (La Botte Ristorante and Piccolo Ristorante). The popular housemade pastas that Mure serves up at Piccolo will also be part of the Wilson menu.

Los Angeles Times - THE RESTAURANT ISSUE - June 18 2006
EATING OUT

Our guide to more than 250 restaurants across Southern California

PICCOLO RISTORANTE: Minuscule Italian restaurant about a block from Venice Beach serving authentic fare. Specialties: grilled scallops, lamb loin, cassunziei ravioli, tiramisu, cream puffs. 5 Dudley Ave. (310) 314-3222. $15 to $36.

LA BOTTE RISTORANTE: Regional Italian fare from the pair behind Venice's Piccolo. Specialties: raw artichoke and celery salad, grilled polenta with Gorgonzola and portobello mushroom, ravioli with duck and cabbage, roasted veal shank for two, homemade wild boar sausage. 620 Santa Monica Blvd. (310) 576-3072. $24 to $60.

WILSON: A mix of international flavors and comfort food in a fresh, modern setting. Specialties: open-face sandwiches (roasted chicken, caponata, rabbit Sloppy Joe); potato and fig tortelli; chicken ravioli. 8631 Washington Blvd. (310) 287-2093. $10 to $18.

Around Town - By Mary McGrath
Culver City Observer • May 18 - May 24 2006

La Botte-The First Wine Barrel Restaurant

La Botte, known as "The Wine Barrel" in Italian, is one of the newer semicelebrity haunts gracing trendy Santa Monica. Known as the "first wine barrel designed restaurant," it obtained its name from the unique design that permeates its decor. From the moment you enter, you are greeted with wood, and lots of it. Hundreds of wine bottles, tucked in their wooden niches, greet you from the rear of the restaurant. But look closely at the floor, tables and walls. Wood wood, and more wood is everywhere, displaying the hieroglyphics from wine barrels gone by.

The polished French oak decorates the floor with a mosaic of handsome stripes. The walls and tables are constructed from the exterior of hundreds of wine barrels, some once housing 500 liters. La Botte features about 240 labels, ranging in price from $20-$1500. There are over 7,000 bottles in storage, with over 1800 on display in the restaurant. Co-owners Stephano Lorenzo, and head chef Antonio (Tony) Mure, along with the support of industry mogul Ron Howard, have got a winning recipe for success with this restaurant.

La Botte, which opened a few months ago, is one of three restaurants owned by this charming team of talent. The first, "Piccolo Ristorante" in Venice, is the more casual dining alternative to La Botte. The third, "Wilson," boasting continental cuisine, will be opening in downtown Culver City, co-owned by Mike Wilson, son of the famed Beach Boy Brian Wilson.

A must is their CARPACCIO DI BRANZINO E RICCI DI MARE featuring a thinly sliced sea urchin roll with Mediterranean sea bass, served with lemon, olive oil and green onions. "Utopia!" exclaimed my connoisseur-dining companion.

What's an Italian restaurant without pasta? Go for the TAGLIOLINI ROSSI CON SALSICCIA DI QUAGLIA E SALSA DI PARMIGIANO, a red beet tagliolini with homemade quail sausage in a bed of parmesan fondue. I tried some restraint on this dish, but was soon twirling the last slippery strand with my fork. There are many fish and meat dishes as well, for those who want to steer clear of their outstanding pasta.

Gaze around the room and you'll see old Santa Monica money, some industry types and perhaps a few celebrities, all adding to the understated earthy vibe of this new arrival. I can't wait to see what they do when their expertise hits Culver City.

The edge of greatness
Sliced razor thin, raw vegetables and fresh fruits take on new texture and flavor. Now that's a clever salad!

By Leslie Brenner, Times Staff Writer - May 3, 2006

THERE'S nothing more alluring than a nice, close shave.

And it doesn't apply only to a man's face: Vegetables and fruits could use a shave, too. No, they don't get a 5 o'clock shadow. And no, you don't shave them with a Gillette. You use a mandoline. Or a good vegetable peeler. Or sometimes a very sharp knife.

The transformative power of the simple technique of very thin slicing is nothing short of stunning.

Anyone lucky enough to have been in possession of a truffle, black or white, knows the pleasure of that particular shave — and how slicing it so thin changes it from a fungus you'd never want to bite into one of the most amazing things you can eat.

But for a much less recherché example, take the prickly artichoke. You'd never think of eating one raw. Eating even a baby artichoke would be akin to eating wood — with a garnish of prickles. But shave baby artichokes and the texture changes radically: The slices, in their wonderful thinness, are tender. Somehow even the flavor changes — air becomes an ingredient and the raw thistle is suddenly delicate rather than impenetrable.

That's the idea of the artichoke salad at La Botte in Santa Monica, where chef Stefano De Lorenzo shaves baby artichokes into lengthwise slices. When he tosses them with a mustardy lemon-olive oil dressing, they really soak it up.

But De Lorenzo doesn't stop shaving there — he's a regular Figaro, adding shaved celery heart and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. He tosses all that with arugula and more dressing, to marvelous effect. Somehow, because the ingredients are all tissue-thin, the flavors combine in a way that they wouldn't otherwise.

Something's cooking
The chefs are coming -- and so are the bakers, wine bars, foodies, cafes. Culver City is hot.

By S. Irene Virbila, Times Staff Writer - May 3, 2006

ANYONE who grew up in L.A. from the '30s through the '60s remembers running out to the Helms Bakery trucks that trolled the neighborhoods to buy all sorts of baked goods. Most of us too made a school field trip to the hulking bakery complex straddling Venice and Washington boulevards to see the magical transformation of flour, water and yeast into bread. Who could forget the way the scent of warm bread settled in a thick layer over Culver City in the early hours of the morning?

Not since Helms shut down in 1969 has Culver City been known for anything to do with food. But now, when restaurant openings in greater Los Angeles (except in Hollywood) have slowed to a trickle, Culver City is the site of a burgeoning food scene. An inviting collection of restaurants and cafes has cropped up in recent months, and more are on the way. The momentum started when Kazuto Matsusaka's Asian cafe Beacon opened almost two years ago. Now Surfas, the restaurant supply store in business since 1937, has moved into a spot on a highly visible corner and expanded with its own cafe. A cooking school down the block is turning out polished home cooks and aspiring professionals. Two newish bakeries are proofing crusty loaves and whipping up buttery pastries. And a groovy catering truck wends its way through these streets dispensing organic Asian-accented lunches.

In the past, outsiders might have come to Culver City for a Sorrento's Market sandwich or slipped into George Petrelli's steakhouse (which butchers its own beef), or bonded with a taco stand or burger joint.

But now, serious chefs who made their reputation in other parts of the city have been taking a look at Culver City and a good many of them are deciding to move in.

Michael Wilson, formerly chef at 5 Dudley in Venice, is opening Wilson, which he describes as a high-end wine bar and cafe, later this month.



Why Culver City? Wilson was attracted by the chance to locate in the new MODAA (Museum of Design Art and Architecture) complex on Washington Boulevard, which also houses architecture offices, live-work lofts and a gallery space.

"With Hayden Tract [a hip, revitalized industrial area], the Helms design district, and the studios nearby, we can open for breakfast, do lunch and catch an early evening crowd when people leave work," he says. "The gallery will open right up into the cafe and stay open until we close. It's all meant to be a flow."

Erik Oberholtzer, formerly executive chef at Shutters on the Beach, is opening a high-concept organic fast-food cafe called Tender Greens with two other partners later this month. He's excited about Culver City because "it's a town that L.A. seems to have forgotten. It reminds me of the small town I grew up in with its old American charm, and it's one of the few places that I've seen in L.A. where you can walk down the street and people smile and say good morning to you," he says.

"It's also one of the last places on the Westside that's affordable."

New concept

TENDER GREENS and Wilson are opening hot on the heels of Ford's Filling Station, which happens to be just next door to Tender Greens. The two even share a paseo of sorts. Ford's Filling Station is the new restaurant from Ben Ford, who had the high-end Chadwick in Beverly Hills. But this is an entirely different concept, L.A.'s first official "gastropub," with a kitchen that uses organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible.

Though Ford has his own following, the Hollywood connection (he's the son of actor Harrison Ford) meant the word on his new place got out early. Since Day One, there's been an excited clamor at the door. He also happens to have a great concept for his "filling station."

And Ford is building on the buzz that Kazuto Matsusaka created when the former Chinois chef chose the old Beacon laundry in the Helms Bakery complex for the site of his Asian cafe, Beacon. Kazuto, as everyone calls him, had done trendy at the Buddha Bar in Paris and Barfly on the Sunset Strip and wanted a place where the food would be more important than any scene.

He scoured the entire Westside for possible locations, but Culver City won out in the end. He and his wife, Vicki Fan, fashioned a sleek, almost loft-like space out of the former laundry, and since its opening, Beacon has done a brisk business.

Wally Marks of Walter N. Marks Inc., the company that has owned and managed the Helms Bakery complex since 1974, says his family envisioned the complex as a center for home furnishings and the arts. They wanted an eclectic mix, and knew food was an important part of that.

The first restaurant to go in was the French cafe La Dijonnaise, which opened six years ago. Marks says he really wanted an Asian restaurant for the Beacon space and held out until Kazuto showed up. A third restaurant project is in the works midpoint along Helms Avenue, which he's working to convert into a pedestrian area.

Speaking as a Realtor, Marks says "it's a fact that in most areas [slated for development], including the Third Street Promenade, the first businesses to go in are restaurants. They're the entrepreneurs today willing to take the risks that general retailers are not." Once restaurants generate enough activity, then retailers move in.

"Culver City is on the map now. We have a very sophisticated audience here," Marks says, "so the bar is set higher. Because of all the mixed-use projects being built, we've seen smaller cafes and restaurants coming in too. The Exposition railway line slated to be finished in the next five years will end at National and Washington, right across the street from Surfas, and in the next phase, will go all the way to Santa Monica. I think the area will continue to grow, which will bring even more good restaurants."

The current spate of openings shows no sign of abating. This summer Sushi Roku chef Keizo Ishiba plans to open K-Zo next to Trader Joe's on Culver Boulevard. A new restaurant is going into the Culver Hotel (again). An Italian wine bar is moving in around the corner from Ford's Filling Station. And a recently posted sign at a storefront at Culver and Main announces, "Opening soon: Bottle Rocket Wine Shop and Tasting Bar. Breaking the rules one bottle at a time."

None of this is an accident. The Culver City Redevelopment Agency's strategic plan to revitalize the downtown area by attracting more restaurants and other businesses has been years in the making, a decade to be exact. Providing ample free parking in city lots and encouraging movie theaters, playhouses, music venues and art galleries to move into the renovated downtown district has helped build an audience for restaurants with something more in mind than turning tables.

Early on, the redevelopment agency even offered incentive loans to restaurants coming into the downtown area, but that's finished now, according to the agency's Elaine Gerety-Warner, because downtown Culver City is pretty much built out in terms of restaurants. The agency will still encourage restaurants that offer a unique experience or are from name chefs.

Another factor in the food scene's emergence is Surfas. Until last November, it wasn't easy to casually come across this restaurant supply and gourmet food emporium. You had to know where it was. Not now. The family-owned firm, which has been around for 69 years, moved to a prominent space on the corner of National and Washington boulevards, a stone's throw from the Helms Bakery complex.

Owner Diane Surfas says they doubled the space and expanded their product lines. "We've been part of Culver City for over 20 years and certainly Culver City has been discovered in a big way."

Chefs and home cooks from all over Los Angeles come to Surfas for ingredients hard to find elsewhere. On the spur of the moment, you can load up on foie gras, demi-glace, almond flour, or Tarbais beans from Southwest France for a cassoulet. Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta is sold in bulk and if you want the latest infused oil or exotic vinegar, they've got it.

Part of the fun for foodies is that you never know whom you might run into there. And now that they've opened the adjoining Café Surfas, a shopping expedition can be stretched to include lunch, or at the very least, coffee and a snickerdoodle cookie.

Notes Surfas, "Many of the people who live in the area work for the studios and, because of their jobs, have had the opportunity to experience different areas and cultures. They want to reproduce what they've experienced in their cooking."

Young talent

THE Culver City restaurant scene may be eclectic, but it's also very down-to-earth, and restaurants tend to be value-conscious. Where Ford's high-end Beverly Hills restaurant Chadwick had a hard time finding an audience, no problem here. His Filling Station is buzzing at lunch, packed to the rafters at dinner.

It's a smart, contemporary space with open kitchen, Turkish carpets on the floors, both front and side patios, and a riotous clamor of a scene. Two wood-burning ovens turn out flatbreads adorned with four cheeses or shrimp and hummus. I love that you can stop in for a bowl of split pea soup, a platter of salumi, some excellent fish and chips or a crispy flattened chicken, all at very moderate prices.

Next door, two chefs and a food and beverage manager making their getaway from the hotel world are flinging open the innovative Tender Greens. Before Shutters, Erik Oberholtzer put in stints with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and Bradley Ogden at Lark Creek Inn, both in Northern California. Oberholtzer says that when he and his partners, Matt Lyman (former chef at One Pico and Casa del Mar) and David Dressler (former food and beverage manager at Shutters on the Beach) came up with the concept for Tender Greens, the idea was what would Alice or Bradley do if they were doing fast-food?

The menu is strong on salads, big and small. Their idea is to do the classics, with organic produce from Scarborough Farms, and to do them so well, they seem fresh again. A grilled chicken Cobb is made with Point Reyes blue cheese and applewood bacon; a grilled flatiron steak salad has breakfast radishes, red and gold beets and horseradish vinaigrette. They'll have sandwiches on homemade potato bread, freshly squeezed lemonade, artisan sodas, micro brews on tap and a short, sweet list of affordable wines by the glass. But no table service: You'll walk up to a counter where you'll see the two chefs and their crew, order what you want, and they'll make it for you right there.

"This is the way I like to cook and this is the way I like to eat," says Oberholtzer.

Actually, Culver City already has another source for organic lunches. It's Café Nagomi, a roving truck that dispenses organic, gourmet Japanese food to different locales around the city. Check the website to find out when and where it'll be.

The menu is mainly seafood and salads (no dairy, eggs or meat). A la carte, you can have vegetable gyoza, fried marinated tofu, seaweed salad or even just a handful of edamame. The scene around the truck is convivial and fun.

Wilson, the upcoming wine bar and cafe, will serve, according to Michael Wilson, "cool appetizers and finger food with global influences." With partners Stefano De Lorenzo and Antonio Muré of Piccolo (the restaurant that took over 5 Dudley), Wilson plans to capture the hordes of workers heading to Sony and other studios and creative shops in the area.

Breakfast offerings will include French-pressed coffee and house-made croissants, muffins and cinnamon toast. Lunch will encompass a "skewer program," salads and sandwiches, including an open-face sandwich section Wilson is especially keen on. Think tea-smoked whitefish with fontina and apple-smoked bacon, rabbit sloppy joe, and pulled pork with African spices.

He has a small kitchen, hence the small plates concept, and this would seem to fit right in with the creative types who live and work in the lofts and offices all around.

In other developments, the gaps in the restaurant scene are filled in with the new Kaizuka, where owner Yoshiyasu Iwamoto mixes traditional sushi fare with his own fusion dishes. Bluebird Bakery, set on a nondescript stretch of National Boulevard, first garnered attention because of its talented baker, nightlife impresario Audrey Bernstein. She's no longer there, but the modest bakery-cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch weekdays, hums along.

The other new bakery is Dolce Forno, on the site of the old Buona Forchetta facility. Owner Celestino Drago turns out breads and pastries in the Italian tradition, enough to furnish the Drago brothers' many restaurants. There's a retail counter, so you can pop in for ciabatta or grissini or pick up frozen ravioli, panini and Italian desserts. But the prosaic setup doesn't invite lingering and the bread's not good enough to warrant a drive across town.

There's more to come, much more. Tempted by the studios, the Helms district and a neighborhood where all sorts of people really do do lunch, chefs longing to open their own restaurants are taking a good look at Culver City. The economics are attractive. And the city's proximity to West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Marina del Rey means that if the menu is interesting enough, a restaurant can draw diners from those areas too.

In a swift, but not unforeseen, reversal of fortunes, Culver City is closing in on being the most food friendly town on the Westside.

Wilson, 8631 E. Washington Blvd., (310) 287-2093; www.wilsonfoodandwine.com. Opening later this month.

westside dining story - March 2006

crate & barrel

Antonio Muré and Stefano De Lorenzo, the young duo from Venice's Piccolo restaurant, have opened La Botte with a thoughtful list of esoteric Italian pours. The darkened room exudes "winter in wine country" with deep chianti-colored accents and slats from wine barrels on the floors and walls. A seat next to the wine wall os Gaja's and Sassicaia's conjures a European vacation (and not the Olive Garden).

Even for LA, the food is bold. Indeed, the usual suspects find their way onto the menu - tried-and-true balsamic, piquant Parmigiano, spicy arugola - but when meats enter the picture, things get exciting. Chef Antonio Muré understands rustic elegance in a way that lets earthy beet tagliolini find peppered contrast in crumbles of quail sausage draped in a pool of luscious, bisque-like parmesan. Master of homemade goodies, this apron-clad chef must be up at dawn forming nuggets of chestnuts-filled ravioli and slicing paper-thin swatches of duck prosciutto. With a bottle of Barolo and full stomach of traditional polpette (isn't the Italian work for meatball so lyrical?), customers will be discussing the nuances of single-vineyard Viettis in no time.

By ALISON CLARE STAINGOLD

Barrel of Fun - March 2006

Santa Monica's classy, cozy La Botte is a wine lover's dream

La Botte is the second venture from Stefano De Lorenzo and Antonio Muré, owners of Venice neighborhood gem Piccolo. The roomy, sophisticated new Santa Monica spot possesses the same stellar service and authentic Italian cuisine for which its older sibling is know, but with a different menu.

Designed for enjoying said menu, the headily aromatic, enoteca-inspired dining room features walls and flooring crafted vintage French oak barrels stained dark from red wine. As its name suggests, La Botte (Italian for the wine barrel) boasts De Lorenzo's admirable wine list, with labels ranging from prized Brunello di Montalcino vintages to his and Muré's boutique Piccolo label from Napa Valley.

Chef Muré's fine Northern Italian menu complements the fine wine with inspired starters (home-cured duck prosciutto, branzino and sea urchin carpaccio) and exceptional homemade pastas (chestnut and gorgonzola ravioli in walnuts pesto sauce, red beet tagliolini with quail sausage over parmesan fondue). And for those feeling indecisive (or a tad gluttonous), Muré also offers a six-course tasting menu.

By SUMY KHONG

Los Angeles Magazine - Top Pick - March 2006

This is a new place from the team behind Piccolo Ristorante in Venice. Warm wood, low lighting, and a below-street-level entrance give it the feel of a wine cellar (the name means "wine barrel"). The food's exquisite: artichoke salad with arugola, beet tagliatelle with quail sausage (and other ingenious pastas), slow-braised oxtail with polenta.
Despite the team, the wines by-the-glass list is limited. Service is gracious.

The James Beard Foundation - March 2006

The partners of the two-year-old Piccolo Ristorante, located on a quiet Venice walk just steps from the ocean, have debuted LA Botte in nearby Santa Monica. Chef Antonio Mure has created the Sicilian-inflected Northern Italian menu, and partner Stefano De Lorenzo runs the front and oversees the extensive Italian wine list. The restaurant’s 50 seats and all the surfaces are made from oak wine barrels.

Not just another trattoria
At La Botte in Santa Monica, chef Antonio Muré turns out regional specialties you won't find anywhere else.

By S. Irene Virbila, Times Staff Writer - February 8, 2006

Nobody slips into La Botte unnoticed or unannounced. As you skip down the three or four steps to the entrance, Stefano de Lorenzo, one of the owners, will be spreading the door wide, leaning outside to shout, "Buona sera, signori" and as you step inside, a chorus of "buona sera, buona sera, signori" comes from the assembled hostesses, waiters — from the sound of it, the entire restaurant.

The effect is like the first time I ducked my head under the curtain at a sushi place in Tokyo and received a rousing welcome from the sushi chefs. De Lorenzo and chef and co-owner Antonio Muré are smart enough to have picked up on the sushi thing, adapting it as part of their quirky Italian shtick. Some people, especially fellow Italians, may find it just too much, but others, my mother, for example, love it. Before she'd taken a bite, she was ready to come back anytime, she told me.

La Botte is a step up for De Lorenzo and Muré, who started out together with the charming Piccolo Cipriani, half a block from Venice Beach, a space so small, you could practically see every move the chef made in the tiny kitchen. Sometimes when it was busy, he'd step out from behind the counter to deliver the dishes to the tables himself. It had, and still has, a wonderfully improvised feel that fits right in with Venice bohemia.

To turn a space in an office building at the corner of 7th and Santa Monica into something that evokes Italy, the two and their partners had to spend some big money. They've built the entire restaurant around the theme of wine. When you call to make a reservation, the message proudly points out that this is "the very first restaurant in a wine barrel." Old wine staves pave the floor, sections of wine boxes are mounted on the walls and at the very back of the dining room, a handsome wine rack wraps around two walls.

They've gone from trattoria in Piccolo to ristorante in one big step. And for the most part, they're pulling it off. If Angeleno dining habits are any guide, there can never be too many Italian restaurants. Just ask Brentwood diners.

A northern flavor

De Lorenzo and Muré have been smarter than most, though. Their menu is not just a copy of every other Italian restaurant on the block. For one thing, these guys come from the north of Italy, from the skiing area in the Dolomites, and so La Botte's menu reflects a northern Italian bias — but truly northern, not just Tuscany. We're talking the Veneto and the Alto Adige, and some dishes rarely seen in these parts.

The antipasti and first courses are where to find most of them. Take, for example, duck prosciutto, which comes from the Jewish tradition of northern Italy. Jews couldn't eat pork, so they made their own goose and duck prosciutto. Here, it's the raw-cured duck breast, thinly sliced and drizzled with a Gorgonzola sauce, which adds a little spunk to the mild, rich taste of the duck breast. There's also a hearty mountain dish of grilled polenta topped with a meaty portobello mushroom cap and more of that unctuous Gorgonzola.

Beef carpaccio? Not on this menu. Instead, the chef roasts filet mignon to the rare side of medium rare, cuts it in thin slices, and arranges them on the plate like the petals of a flower. The beef is incredibly tender, adorned with a swatch of greens. He also does a crudo of raw baby artichokes and celery cut razor thin and drenched in a light olive oil and lemon. The celery adds a bright, grassy taste that complements the artichoke.

Pastas vary from the usual too. The minute I spotted cappelletti al Lambrusco, I had to order it. I've really enjoyed the version I had in Modena, dosed with enough Lambrusco to turn the broth a deep wine color. La Botte's cappelletti are similar to tortellini, with a finely minced stuffing, but the broth lacks richness and intensity and there's only enough wine to give it a slight blush. It could be that's the style in the chef's region.

One night a special ravioli, little packets with zigzagged edges, with a filling of duck, cabbage and a touch of foie gras, is absolutely terrific. The pasta is supple, and the flavors of the cabbage with the roast duck are wonderful together. The ravioli are simply tossed in a little butter and sage. Another time the special was raviolini del plin, postage stamp-sized ravioli stuffed with fonduta, fontina melted in milk, a dish that's a favorite in Piedmont where, in season, it's covered in a blizzard of shaved white truffles. I opted not to get the truffles, but even without such adornment, these agnolotti are delicious. It's sort of like fondue dressed up as a pasta.

I brought my nephew one night and he already knew what he wanted before he opened the menu. Say what? He'd checked the restaurant out online, where they have the menus and wine list posted. Lobster ravioli intrigued him. I don't know that I've ever had a great version. It's one of those fancy dishes that spell grande ristorante and involves making a lobster reduction for the sauce. Here, as in every other version I've tasted, it's all too rich and cloying.

The kitchen does have a tendency to over-sauce the noodles. When most of his customers expect it that way, it's hard for a cook to resist for long. But almost every pasta dish here would be better if the chef would make it the way he would in Italy. I don't understand the logic. Americans inevitably fall in love with the food there. Why wouldn't they want pasta made the same way here?

Côte de boeuf for two is always a favorite in French restaurants. Muré has borrowed that idea with his roasted veal shank for two. Order it and you'll be the envy of the dining room as the waiter wheels over one of the wine barrels standing at attention against the walls. The chef bounds out of the kitchen, and using the barrel as a serving platform, carves the meat off the bone. The veal shank could serve more than two easily, so come hungry. Along with the tender, slow-cooked veal, you get little roast potatoes and, I think, broccoli rabe.

I was also happy to see the classic Roman dish coda alla vaccinara — braised oxtail — on the menu. This is so much better than osso buco, I don't know why every Italian restaurant isn't making it. The meat has a deep beefy flavor and a slightly gelatinous quality near the bone. I've also had an excellent venison chop and on another occasion a thick, juicy veal chop, both served with a saffron risotto cake crunchy at the edges.

Branzino (Mediterranean striped bass) cooked under sea salt is also served table-side, with or without the head, as you like. Some people don't want the fish staring at them while they eat it, but Italians know that seeing the fish with the head on is the only way to tell whether it's really fresh or not. And they'll fight over who gets the eyeball or the cheeks. The fish itself is very plain and cooking it under salt helps retain the moisture. The sauce is olive oil, lemon and capers, a classic that never goes out of style.

Heavy hitters

Anybody who loves Italian wines will immediately head for the wine rack to inspect the bottles on display, many with impressive pedigrees. There's Sassicaia, Tignanello, Gaja's single vineyard Barbarescos, and in more than one vintage. But if you don't want to spend a bundle, finding an interesting Italian wine to drink for less than $50 or $60 is harder than it should be. I pored over the list one night and finally spotted a Morellino di Scansano, a Tuscan red from an up-and-coming undervalued area near the coast, for $30, only to be informed, quite graciously by the waiter, that it was a half bottle. I borrowed a flashlight and spent some more time going over the list, ending up, after all that effort, with the same wine I'd ordered the visit before and one of the few real bargains on the list: a Chianti Senesi from Castello di Farnatella. In almost every category there's one wine at a relatively reasonable price, then the choices quickly jump to $80 or $100 or more. Valentino's wine list, in contrast, offers many more affordable bottles.

Wine lovers will be well aware of — and unhappy about — the high markups. When they learn the restaurant is one of the very few in Los Angeles that does not allow patrons to bring wines from their own cellar and pay a corkage fee, they may decide to go elsewhere. La Botte's stubborn policy of high markups and no corkage could turn more people off than turn them on to Italian wines.

A couple of desserts round off the experience at La Botte in style. One night, pastiera napoletana had just come out of the oven. Still slightly warm, the wedge of ricotta cake scented with rose water and flavored with orange zest could have come from any pasticceria in Naples, it's that authentic-tasting. Tiramisu wins me over too. It's not too sweet — mostly mascarpone, not just whipped cream, and you can taste the espresso and bitter cocoa. It's almost a sin to have either of these without an espresso.

I love the fact that La Botte is serving such idiosyncratic and regional dishes along with familiar favorites. Prices, though, almost ensure it has to be a special-occasion restaurant, and for that, the kitchen has to deliver consistently, which wasn't the case. On occasion, a chop was overcooked or a salad was overdressed or the service was pretentious or seemed too scripted.

And for a restaurant built around wine, its wine policy couldn't be more unfriendly to wine lovers. I think it's a mistake. If the wines were priced more reasonably, it'd no doubt sell more. That would be more truly welcoming than all the buona seras in the world.

Rating:   (Very good)

Ambience: Dark, romantic Italian restaurant with low ceilings, a cozy atmosphere and a décor built around wine, with old wine staves on the floor and wine barrels used as serving tables.

Service: Varies from stiff and scripted to indulgent.

Price: Appetizers, $9 to $16; pasta, $15 to $19; main courses, $24 to $60; desserts, $8.

Best dishes: Raw artichoke and celery salad, thinly sliced filet mignon with mustard sauce, cappelletti al Lambrusco, polpettine with onion confit, grilled polenta with Gorgonzola and portobello mushroom, ravioli with duck and cabbage, venison chop with Moscato sauce, roasted veal shank for two, pastiera napoletana, tiramisu.

Wine list: Big on pricey Italians and multiple vintages, but not enough interesting choices, even Chiantis, less than $50. Seven wines by the glass. No brought-in wine allowed.

Best table: One at the far end of the room, where it's quieter.

Details: Open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. Beer and wine. Valet parking, $6.

Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality.

Mario Martinoli - February 7, 2006

If you think there are too many Italian restaurants in Santa Monica you'd be incorrect. Consider the newly opened LA Botte. It's only 50 seats but it's very comfortable and inviting.

This is a creative partnership between two talented Italian gents who became friends while working in some of the better Italian restaurants in town.

The owner/chef is Toni Mure a native of Sicily. He's cooked at il Moro and Valentino Las Vegas. His menu at LA Botte is Northern Italian with unusual Sicilian touches. All the pastas, breads, and desserts are prepared there fresh daily. When time allows Toni even brings his dishes to the guests at their tables!

The owner/GM / Front-of-the-house guy is the always engaging Stefano De Lorenzo. They offer an impressive cellar of Italian wines there and when you order a selection by the glass they actually bring the bottle to the table so you see what is poured!

All of the surfaces of the restaurant are decorated with parts of wine barrels.

I recommend the Chicken and Duck polpettine, little dumplings, served with onion confit as a starter.

The pasta selections here will really make your mouth water. If you enjoy something simple but well-prepared go for the Spaghetti with fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and basil pesto.

An industry Pro goes "Undercover" to write about Santa Monica's homage to Italian food and the wines that make for heavenly pairing - February 2006

So you're hoping to learn how wine and food go together. Get ready for a full immersion course. La Botte, Italian for "Wine Barrel," located in the heart of Santa Monica, is the place for a one of a kind experience in Italian fine dining and wining. Proprietors Antonio Mure', the man affectionately known as "the greatest Italian chef on the west side" and Stefano De Lorenzo, affectionately known as "Stefano" will make it happen. That the design and interior of the restaurant is spectacular goes without saying.

Champagne is an ideal companion to a wide variety of dishes - La Botte offers a half bottle of Perrier Jouet - and should be enjoyed before, during, and after every meal. It refreshes the palate, brightens your day and evening, and sets the appetite in motion. Not speaking Italian, I asked Lorenzo to surprise me over the duration of three courses. To help wash down the PJ he brought out thinly sliced celery and artichoke hearts with a parmesan lemon dressing. My date giggled. This was fallowed by a bottle of Planeta's Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a Sicilian wine that smells remarkably like strawberries, with Cappelletti al Lambrusco. My date laughed. Then came the food and wine lesson of the night: A half bottle of Speri Amarone with filetto. My date faded from my conscious mind. The perfect harmony of the Amarone with inconceivable flavors of the steak (dare I use such a barbaric term for this four inches slice of ambrosia). Trying to chew slower, savoring… every juicy morsel.

As my date and my surroundings rematerialized, and my ephemeral view of what lies beyond began to dissipate a feeling of calm came over me, this was soon followed by an almost insatiable urge to lick the plate. Fortunately before this desire could manifest itself the plate was whisked away.

The selection of dessert wines at La Botte is extensive and complete. And if you have it in your wallet, try a 99 Y'Quem; oblige Stefano and Toni with a glass, and reap the rewards on your next visit, because having visited once you will go back.

-Swiss

TOP 10 HOT SPOTS - January 2006

The guys from Piccolo in Venice have re-emerged at this sexy Italian restaurant whose gorgeous wood-paneled interior is crafted from recycled wine barrels. That should tell you something about the wine. The very original menu from chef Antonio Mure' spans the old country from north to south, and doesn't shy away from elk or quail.

FOODIE - Get out of the kitchen and into these noteworthy newcomers.

The virtuosos behind SoCal favorite Piccolo bring you a new Santa Monica locale serving standout Northern Italian Cusine. Try Chef Antonio Mure's six course seasonal tasting menu for the consummate LaBotte experience.

January ZagatWire: Hot Spots, Foodie Buzz & Culinary Events

Opened by frontman Stefano De Lorenzo and chef Antonio Mure (Piccolo), this Third Street Promenade trattoria lives up to its name (which translates as “the bottle”) with hundreds of bottles lining walls made of wood reclaimed from old wine barrels; the kitchen mixes raw sea bass with sea urchin, flavors its tagliolini with beets and even makes its own quail sausage.

The pleasure of a blend

Age may mellow the ambitious new effort from the Piccolo duo.

By S. Irene Virbila, Times Staff Writer - December 29, 2005

The two jolly partners from Piccolo, that minuscule Italian ristorante a block from the beach in Venice, have opened a much grander Santa Monica restaurant at Santa Monica Boulevard and 7th Street. Called La Botte — Italian for "the wine cask" — the place is literally built around wine.

The floors are old wine cask staves. Wine barrels are set around the room like boulders. And the main design feature is an elaborate wine rack that wraps around two walls.

You might recall seeing the chef, Antonio (Toni) Muré behind the stoves in the small open kitchen at Piccolo. Bandana tied around his head to catch sweat, he cooked with all the energy of a whirling dervish, sometimes even delivering the plates to the tables himself.

At La Botte, he looks like a different person. Resplendent in a spotless white chef's jacket and long white apron, he moves through the dining room chatting up the guests, while the affable Stefano de Lorenzo directs the dining room as he did at Piccolo.

At La Botte the partners are going for something more upscale, and, as a consequence, the staff is putting on a formality that could be read as pretentious but is probably just nerves and inexperience.

The menu is much more ambitious than Piccolo's too. And the restaurant is open for lunch weekdays and dinner nightly, a tall order for a new restaurant.

I love the fact that the menu is laced with distinctly regional dishes, such as the house-cured duck prosciutto drizzled with Gorgonzola sauce or the capelletti al Lambrusco, which is a stuffed pasta similar to tortellini floating in a bowl of broth dosed with a dash of Lambrusco wine.

The soups go beyond minestrone. And pastas include black linguine with fresh crab and roasted garlic. Mantova-style pumpkin tortelli come in a melted butter and sage sauce and a classic tagliatelle comes with Bolognese sauce. And right now, of course, they're offering risotto lavished with shaved white truffles. (For $60, though, ask to see and smell the truffle before you order. If it's not a great truffle, don't get it.)

Main courses flirt with both the rustic and the highfalutin. I was happy to see the famous Roman dish coda alla vaccinara — braised oxtail with polenta, which I hardly ever see on L.A. Italian menus.

Ditto for the house wild boar sausage. My group of four actually fights over who gets to order it, and trades stories about eating boar sausage with stony green lentils in Umbria. This sausage tastes more like mild pork than wild boar, but the cannellini beans that come with it are delicious.

There's also a roasted veal shank for two; two big guys, I'd say. And for those who equate going out with eating expensive red meat, there's a filet mignon with Barolo and truffle sauce.

The wine list is large, and La Botte offers a number of wines by the glass. The list, though, has more expensive, older wines from heavy hitters than reasonably priced wines for Italophiles. The Tuscan section, for example, seems a little short on Chianti Classico, though there is one lovely bargain, the 2001 Castello di Farnatella from the Colli Senesi, just outside the Chianti Classico area, for $28.

It's early days yet, and going from what is essentially a trattoria to a more formal high-end restaurant has got to come with some growing pains. Santa Monica surely deserves one more Italian restaurant. Why should Brentwood get them all?

Designed almost exclusively from oak wine barrels, La Botte's immaculately crafted interior is built from walls that have spent their lives aging alongside the crushed grape. Feeling quite opposite from their harder-to-find Piccolo property in Venice Beach, La Botte's animated owners Stefano De Lorenzo and chef Antonio Mure are much more on stage here thanks an excellent Northern Italian menu, generous floor space and an easily found address.

The beauty of La Botte is that its dedication to the well-crafted extends beyond its woodsy interior to the picturesque creations sent out from Antonio Mure's kitchen. His wizardry is impressive, from the Kandinsky-like carpaccios to the encrusted Ahi tuna. On select occasions, Mure even appears from the kitchen to sprinkle truffle dust over your pasta or beef filet. If game is your thing, La Botte does a flavorful homemade wild boar sausage, elk chop and even an oven-roasted veal shank ($60 for a minimum of two people) all with a homegrown twist. Considering it’s across the street from the new library, La Botte is quite a study in what an Italian restaurant can be. -- Gregg Rosenzweig

Stefano De Lorenzo and chef Antonio Mure of Venice Beach’s Piccolo have opened Italian restaurant La Botte near the Third Street Promenade.

Amidst floors and walls made from wine barrel wood, Mure rolls branzino carpaccio with sea urchin, prepares red beet tagliolini with homemade quail sausages and roasts colossal veal shanks for two. La Botte, 620 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-576-3072.

Roll Out the Barrel - November 21, 2005

With the exception of hand-to-hand mortal combat, practically everything is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Unless you stick to things that actually, you know, come in barrels. In that case, you’re left with just one: wine.

And La Botte, which translates as “the barrel” in Italian, has plenty of it. Owner Stefano De Lorenzo and owner-chef Antonio Murè (the guys behind Piccolo in Venice) lined the walls of their new Santa Monica restaurant with bottles from all over Italy. (Like the wood throughout the space? It comes from old wine barrels.)

The food is Northern Italian with a Sicilian flair. Pop in with a group for appetizers (branzino carpaccio with sea urchin and red beet tagliolini with quail sausage are especially tasty) and bowls of pasta, or splurge on the $60 veal shank. An extra-special night? Have Murè sprinkle truffle dust all over your risotto or prepare a five-course tasting menu.

Of course, when dining with friends, your night could be more than just a meal.

It could be a barrel of laughs.

La Botte, 620 Santa Monica Boulevard, at 7th Street, Santa Monica (310-576-3072).